BLOOMINGTON – It seems May always matters most for Indiana, a scheduling quirk that presents one of the Big Ten's best programs with an immense challenge and an immense opportunity year after year.

Jeff Mercer’s team will hit the stretch run with a seven-series win streak, after taking Sunday’s rubber game, 7-1, against visiting Minnesota. The No. 23/24/25 Hoosiers are at 30 wins. They’re just a half-game out of first in the Big Ten (with a weekend trip to first-place Michigan to come). And they’re in control of their destiny not just in the race for their first league title since 2014, but also possibly for the opportunity to host an NCAA regional for the first time since that season as well.

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FILE -- The Indiana University Hoosiers infielder Justin Walker (10), send the ball to first base during a game between the Indiana University Hoosiers and Ball State Cardinals, at Victory Field in Indianapolis on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.(Photo: Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar)

“We've lost at least three times on a Friday and responded to go win a series. You just have to be able to continue to compete,” Mercer, IU’s first-year coach, said Sunday. “It's so cliche, but just the toughness. You just have to continue and go and go and go.”

A red-hot stretch following their slow start reintroduced the Hoosiers (30-14, 11-4) to college baseball’s three major polls — Baseball America, D1 Baseball and Perfect Game — this week. Their top-25 RPI entering the weekend won’t likely be watered down by another series victory.

Indiana did it Sunday without its greatest weapon — the Hoosiers didn’t hit a home run.

It was at least somewhat by design. The win was blowing in at Bart Kaufman Field, and matchups didn’t favor the long ball early. So Mercer pulled his team together to plan.

“We play a game called ‘through the line,’” Mercer said, “… which is a head-high line drive to score points through your defense. Today, I just said let's play ‘through the line,’ take your walks, get him up, and we've got to play fundamental baseball.”

His team gave him what he wanted, chasing Minnesota starter Joshua Culliver after just 2/3 of an inning. The Hoosiers tagged Culliver for three runs despite only managing one hit. The rest was done by drawing walks (Culliver issued three) and capitalizing on errors. It was 5-0 by the end of the second inning.

“Today it was nice blend of offense, us being able to string some things together, and obviously capitalizing on a few mistakes of theirs,” first baseman Scotty Bradley said. “That’s a really good ballclub Minnesota has. Just really big for us to come out here and get a series win, especially after losing Friday night. I think it shows a lot resilience on our part, coming back to take the series with two straight wins.”

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Bradley did his part, finishing with two hits and two RBIs. He was also at the center of a bizarre moment when he appeared to have been awarded second base on an obstruction call, only to be tagged out and later told by the first-base umpire he hadn’t been running hard enough to be awarded second.

Indiana would not need the luck. Andrew Saalfrank struck out six over 5 2/3 innings, and Connor Manous and Tommy Sommer relieved to record the last 10 outs.

With 23 wins in its last 29 games, IU is possibly the Big Ten’s hottest team heading into May. That momentum will be tested.

Starting with next weekend’s trip to Illinois, IU plays seven straight road games: three in Champaign, then at Kentucky, then three against title rival Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Navigate those, then finish the season strong with Louisville and Rutgers in a three-game set, and the Hoosiers could be holding silverware.

Moreover, they’d be in the best postseason position the program has enjoyed since Kyle Schwarber and Sam Travis were anchoring Indiana’s lineup.